"Clappuccino?
Whisper it softly, but the Chinese are coming. While the rest of the world suffers from the relentless economic downturn, the Dragon is flexing its talons.
Whilst it might not yet be quite ready to openly breathe fire over the ruins of the great American economy, it is nevertheless adept at stealth tactics that cut into the very fabric of a society that is no longer as ‘American as Apple pie’ but perhaps more akin to szechuan dumplings.
Let me give you some examples that will shock you. These are three items I bought on our recent ‘Blue Odyssey’ trip to the U.S.A:
Starbucks Nashville Mug: Made in China
New Orleans Saints NFL Mug: Made in China
Cowboy boots, bought in New Orleans: Made in China
Can you see a theme developing here? Exactly. And more frightening than that, these items are representative of things that are quintessentially American. So we have to ask, “where did it all go wrong?”
At what point was there a seismic shift from Home on the Range to a Ride in the Rickshaw?
Of course any weekend economist could tell that China has been on the rise for years, and a cursory glance at the F.T. will reveal the growth in market share, but were we really prepared for the ease in which they’d get the American dog to roll over and have its belly tickled?
When the last great democratic economy withers the way British shipbuilding and the Car industry did, it is patently clear there is no going back. So I think I’ve come up with a plan. They need to turn the Mississippi delta in a huge paddy field and sell rice to the Chinese.
Want some Moore??! 